Convertible nether outer garment



Nov. .19, 1963 c. M. BURCHARD 3,110,903

CONVERTIBLE NETHER OUTER GARMENT Filed June 17. 1960 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

CLARENCE M BURCHARD ATTORNEY Nov. 19, 19 63 c. .M. BURCHARD 3,110,903

CONVERTIBLE NETHER OUTER GARMENT Filed June 17, 1960 .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

CLARENCE M. BURCHARD ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 19, 1963 3,110,993 CONVERTIBLE NETHER OUTER GARMENT Ciarence M. Burchartl, 50 Popham Road, Scarsdaie, N.Y. Filed June 17, 1%0, Ser. No. 36,862 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-221) This invention relates to novel outer garments covering at least the waist to knee portion of the wearer, more particularly nether outer garments convertible from fash ion garments to free action garments.

It is an object of this invention to provide a nether outer garment readily convertible from a fashion, i.e., form fitting, garment to a free action garment, i.e., one yielding to the movements associated with certain athletic sports, especially bowling, golf, tennis, etc.

Another object is the provision of garments as described above in which the convertibility can be achieved inconspicuously and publicly in good taste.

A further object is the provision of garments as described above in which convertibility is achieved by inconspicuous and inexpensive construction.

Still another object is the provision of a sports garment which provides freedom of action, enhanced comfort, and aids to the game, including the psychological benefits resulting from comfort and freedom from self-consciousness about appearance while engaging in the sport.

Still another object is the provision of a convertible sport garment having longer life and greater dimensional stability due to less strain on the seams and fabric during use.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

These objects are accomplished by a nether outer garment covering at least the waist to the knee portion of the wearer and comprising a pair of inverted waist pleats on the back side of the garment, means to close the pleats by joining their outer edge portions into substantially abutting relationship, and elastic means urging the upper portion of the pleats into closed position while the pleats are in open position, i.e., the outer edges thereof are unjoined. Preferably the garment also comprises yielding means at the knee area to permit full flexing of the knees of the wearer.

Many sports, especially bowling, have become popular among novices as well as experts. With bowling in particular, the game is often played on work days during the lunch period or shortly after work. Unless the participants wear their working clothes while bowling, which can result in accelerated wear and tear thereon, they must bring a change of clothing with them to work or maintain a locker. This also necessitates changing clothes, thus delaying the game in addition to locker expenses.

Alternatively, if the participants bowl in their working clothes, they either must put up with clothing which is too tight for the freedom of movement desirable in the game, or wear to work loose fitting clothing which may not have an appearance as acceptable as the usual fashion garments. None of the above alternatives are completely acceptable.

The garments of this invention solve the problem by providing a fashion garment for working hours, e.g., skirt, slacks or dress, which can be quickly and inconspicuously converted in public to a sports garment which provides the free action construction desirable in athletic sports like bowling, golf and tennis.

The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the nether outer garments of this invention. Details of construction well known in the art for garments of this general type and not relating specifically to this invention have been omitted.

FIGURE 1 is a schematic rear view of a skirt constructed according to this invention.

FIGURES 2 and 3 are schematic side views of the skirt shown in FIGURE '1 with the pleats in closed and open position, respectively.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective side view of the skirt of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective rear view of the skirt of FIGURE 1.

FIGURES 6, 7, 8 and 9 are enlarged schematic fragmentary views illustrating variations in construction of the Waist pleats employed in the garments of this invention.

FIGURES 10 and 11 are perspective rear views of slacks arranged and constructed according to this invenion.

FIGURES 12 and 13 are enlarged fragmentary opposing side views showing a knee vent of the slacks shown in FIGURES 10 and 11.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the convertible skirt is dwignated generally by the reference numeral 1 and the convertible mans or womans slacks by the reference numeral 2.

Skirt 1 and slacks 2 have a pair of inverted waist pleats 3 and t on opposite sides of the back half of the garments. These pleats can be box pleats, as shown in FIGURES 1, 2, and 9, or side seam pleats of the construciton shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 for the lower pleats.

These inverted pleats 3 and 4 have a backing portion 5 joining the outer edges 6 and 7 and coextensive with the length thereof. Attached to the outer edges are means to close the pleats by joining these outer edges into substantially abutting relationship so as to render the pleats unobtrusive when closed. These means can be of the preferred slide fastener type comprising a pair of tapes of fastener elements 8 and 9, sewn to the outer edges 6 and 7 of the pleats 3 and 4 and an engaging slider 15} for closing the pleats by interlocking fastener elements 8 and 9. Alternatively, the closing means can be of the snap fastener type 11 and 12 as shown in FIGURE 8, or, as variations, buttons and button holes, hooks and eyes, or laces and lace eyes, not shown. The slide fastener means can be of exposed construction so that the engaging elements 8 and 9 are exposed, as shown in FIG- URE 10, or concealed construction as shown in FIG- URES l, 2 and 9, open end construction as shown in FIGURES 1, 3, 5, 6, and 11, or closed end construction as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, which construction is well known in the art.

Attached to the skirt 1 and slacks 2 on opposite sides of the pleats 3 and 4 are elastic tapes 13, preferably cloth covered, bridging the upper portions of the outer edges 6 and 7. The tapes 13 can be stitched along lines 14 and 15 or, as in the version shown in FIGURE 6, one side of the tape 13 can be joined to the main body of the garment by means of a snap fastener 16, or a button and button hole or a hook and eye, not shown. These elastic tapes can be concealed by incorporating them internally in a waist band 17 as shown in FIGURES 9 and 10' or by attaching them to the backing portion 5 before the latter is sewn or otherwise attached to the outer edges 6 and 7.

In the preferred embodiment of the skirt 1 as shown in FIGURES l-3 and 4, there is present a pair of closeable side pleats 18 and 19, preferably of the usual side pleat construction, extending from a point above the knees at about the thigh region to the hem of the skirt. A godet or backing portion 20 joins the forward edges 21 and 22 of pleats 13 and 19. Attached to the forward edges 21 and 22 are tapes of fastener elements 2 3 and 24 with an engaging slide 25 for closing the pleats 18 and 19 by interlocking the fastener elements 23 and 24. In place of the slide fastener closing means there can be employed buttons and button holes, hooks and eyes, or laces and lace eyes, not shown.

In the preferred slacks version shown in EEGURES 1043, the inverted pleats 3 and 4 are of the same construction as in the skirt 1 version. There is al o present on each leg of the preferred version a pair of opposing side knee vents 26 consisting of side seams 2'7 having a slitted portion providing a back edge 23 and a front edge unattached to each other. Vertically sewn to the back edge 28 is an underlay or flap 3% to provide a backing portion of facing for the vent 2'6. In a version not shown, the vents 2s can be equipped with closed end slide fasteners to join edges 23 and 29 and bring vents 2t, into closed position.

in all of the above described versions, the usual sewing construction well known in the garment industry is empioyed.

When the skirt version 1 is used as a fashion garment, e.g., during work, the pleats 3, 4, 18 and 19 are maintained in a closed position, shown in FIGURE 2. When used as a free action garment, cg, when bowling or golfing, pleats 3, 4, 18 and 19 are maintained in open position, as shown in ElGURES 3, 4 and 5. Pleats 3 and 4 tend to assume the positions shown in PEGURE 9 when the wearer stands erect and the position shown in PLJURE 5 when the wearer bends at the waist, due to the contraction and expansion of elastic tape 13. The pleats 1E and 19, when open, provide the freedom of movement of a flared skirt and the styling of a tubular or slim skirt when closed.

In the slack 2 version, the pleats 3 and 4 are maintained as described above for the skirt. The knee vents 2e tend to assume the position shown in FIGURE 10 when the legs of the wearer are straight and the position shown in FlGURE 11 when the knees are bent. Because there is a knee vent 2-6 on each side of each leg of the slacks 2, version, the leg of the garment does not twist as the knees are flexed. The flap 3t} prevents the leg of the wearer from being exposed when the knees are flexed and the vents 26 are open.

When a skirt 1 or slack 2 embodies the elastic tape version and open end slide fastener construction shown in FIGURE 6, the necessity of an additional placketed opening, e.g., a slide fastener 31 as shown in FIGURES 3, is eliminated as the pleats 3 and 4, when open, and the elastic tape 14, when unsnapped, provide sufficient expansion to permit donning the garment with ease.

In the version shown in FlGURE 4 and 11, one vertical half 32 of the garment is made of patterned fabric and the other half 33 of plain fabric. This construction has the added advantages of acting as a reminder to novice bowlers with which foot to start the approach and also provides a vertical line to assist in alignment with the bowling lane spots prior to the approach and alignment during approach, execution and follow through.

It is to be understood that the above illustrates and describes preferred embodiments of this invention and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art and this invention is limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A nether outer garment convertible from a form-fitting to a free-action garment, said nether garment having at waist line edge portion, a lower torso covering portion and an upper leg covering portion, a pair of spaced c1ose able vertical inverted pleats on opposite sides of the back half of the garment and extending from the waist line edge portion to about the upper portion of the seat, ssi pleats each having outer edge portions and a backing portion coextensive with the length of the pleat, means to close said pleats by joining said outer edge portions into substantially abutting relationship, and elastic means urging the upper portion of said outer edge portions into closed position when said outer edges are unjoined.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 610,032 Cottrelly Aug. 30, 1898 914,414 Hook Mar. 9, 1909 969,380 Leander Sept. 6, 1910 1,070,694 Keller Aug. 19, 1913 1,072,381 Greenwald Sept. 2, 1913 1,135,459 McMullen Apr. 13, 1915 1,893,470 Ernms Jan. 3, 1933 2,317,768 Holland et al. Apr. 27, 1943 2,349,974 McMasters May 30, 1944 2,492,444 Roessner Dec. 27, 1949 2,696,616 Worcester Dec. 14, 1954 2,706,404 Lawson Mar. 8, 1955 2,713,168 Bagnato July 19, 1955 2,825,905 Merl Mar. 11, 1958 2,838,760 Lilie June 17, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 751,539 Great Britain June 27, 1956 

